diff --git a/src/libsyntax/mut_visit.rs b/src/libsyntax/mut_visit.rs
index 86849f580d081..bcb96f5786b9e 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/mut_visit.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/mut_visit.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use syntax_pos::Span;
 
 use rustc_data_structures::sync::Lrc;
 use std::ops::DerefMut;
+use std::{panic, process, ptr};
 
 pub trait ExpectOne<A: Array> {
     fn expect_one(self, err: &'static str) -> A::Item;
@@ -305,11 +306,18 @@ pub trait MutVisitor: Sized {
 
 /// Use a map-style function (`FnOnce(T) -> T`) to overwrite a `&mut T`. Useful
 /// when using a `flat_map_*` or `filter_map_*` method within a `visit_`
-/// method.
+/// method. Abort the program if the closure panics.
 //
 // No `noop_` prefix because there isn't a corresponding method in `MutVisitor`.
 pub fn visit_clobber<T, F>(t: &mut T, f: F) where F: FnOnce(T) -> T {
-    unsafe { std::ptr::write(t, f(std::ptr::read(t))); }
+    unsafe {
+        // Safe because `t` is used in a read-only fashion by `read()` before
+        // being overwritten by `write()`.
+        let old_t = ptr::read(t);
+        let new_t = panic::catch_unwind(panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| f(old_t)))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| process::abort());
+        ptr::write(t, new_t);
+    }
 }
 
 // No `noop_` prefix because there isn't a corresponding method in `MutVisitor`.